Saga of the Air Nomads
by JkayChase
Summary: It's been over a hundred years since firelord Sozin tried to exterminate the air nomads. On hundred years since the remaining nomads were forced to flee underground, protected by the animal spirits of the elements. A hundred years since any of their people have seen the sky. Follow Avira, a young air nomad, who somehow manages to find herself above the surface after the war.
1. Chapter 1

It's been over a century now since my people have seen or tasted the sky. We were hunted at the beginning of the war-the fire nation went from temple to temple. But what the fire nation had apparently forgotten, is that the balance of the world depends on _all _of the four elements. The balance and prosperity of our species depended on all four nations surviving, similarly. A great monk called Gyatso realized this, as well as did the beasts who guided us and taught us everything we knew. Monk Gyatso met with the great Badger-moles of old, the great sea serpents, the dragons, and of course the original sky bison spirit. Normally, these spirits would show themselves only to the avatar, but the world was in terrible danger, and the avatar had disappeared.

We had to hide. There were now too few of us compared to the fire nation's armies to fight without endangering our entire species. The badger-mole spirits of old proposed an idea that was necessary, but one my people hated. We, the people of the air, would be hidden underground, underneath a desert, for as many generations as it took for the avatar to return and restore peace to the world. The sea serpents offered their services in providing us fresh water with their bending, provided the badger moles could carve a path for them from the sea. The original sky bison spirit, our ever-lasting friend, reminded Gyatso of the sky bisons' loyalty, and said that while most of them would perish in the last fight for the only temple we had left, a select few would come underground with us, to save their species and to guide us, as was the pact.

The dragons were in a state of turmoil. For eons they had protected and guided the fire nation-and for the first time, that pact had been over-turned, and the fire nation had begun hunting them for sport. Never before had a nation betrayed their own animal guides like this. And while the dragons were loyal to the fire nation, they understood the need for balance the in world, for the good of all. The sky bison were big and strong, but not agile enough to survive the fire nation, who rode in on beasts quicker on the ground and more agile, shooting fireballs faster than the sky bison could dodge. It was then that a new pact was formed, and the dragons further acknowledged that they were creatures of both air and fire. The dragons would be bonded to the air nomads as they once had the fire nation, and offer their strength to protect us should our hiding place be found.

It has been a hundred years since that plan was put into action.

_Avira, are you going to get up, or just lie in bed all day?_

I groaned and rolled over in response to my dragon's mental prodding, futilely pretending to be asleep. Condor let out an amused snort, and a heavy paw clamped itself onto my side, firmly rocking me from side to side.

_Oh, dear, what ever am I to do? It seems my beloved Avira is in a coma. Perhaps a firm licking will wake her up._

Instantly, I shot up, banging my head across Condor's chin.

"Ack! I'm up!"

The tongue of a dragon is not a pleasant thing to be beheld. It's extremely rough.

_Miracles do happen. _Conder said dryly, regarding me with amused yellow eyes. The firelight he had kept alive glowed brightly in the room, and gleaming off of his pearly white scales. I blinked, my eyes adjusting to the light, and taking in my surroundings. A large, dark furry fuzball attacked me.

"Apala!" I laughed, as the baby sky bison proceeded to rub me all over and push me out of bed.

I landed with a grunt onto the wooden floor.

"Thanks guys." I said sarcastically. Apala bleeped, and Condor let out a breath.

_Get dressed._

"Right away, your bossiness." I muttered, walking over to my clothes cabinet and picking out the normal nomad attire, even though our people couldn't really be called nomads anymore.

I dressed quickly, stripping myself of my sleeping wear and throwing on the day clothes. I took a quick look at myself in the mirror and bound my brown hair into a hair tie, with the tatooed arrow showing proudly over the middle of my forehead, signifying that I had finished first level airbending class. That being done, I grabbed Condor's saddle from its rack on the wall and walked over, strapping it onto him with its dark blue pad-my sitting place was right over his shoulders, right in front of his neck. But instead of waiting for me to climb on, Condor charged through the large bamboo covered doorway, and with a loud flap, went airborne, without me.

_You'll have to fly yourself!_

"Gee thanks!" I called, going to my bedside and grabbing my mahogany wooded glider. Before I turned, I heard Apala let out a loud call and launched herself out as well. With a sigh, I stepped through the bamboo doorway and stood on the ledge of my room's entrance, taking in my surroundings for a moment.

Glowing chrystals lit our ten-mile area brightly, so you could see the pool of water, the trees, and grasses far below. To the east was another tall tower-the other dorm section. Directly in front of me, about eight miles away, was the main training temple, where the masters lived. Basically, I lived in an earth bowl.

I looked to the west, where Condor was banking around in circles, waiting for me. Today, we would once again venture out in search of-well, something interesting. We were the only ones up-we had to get up extremely early in order to leave without being seen. Most would just assume we were sleeping in my room, and on our days off, most knew better than to interrupt mine or Condor's sleeping. And now, baby Apala was feared as well for her horrible waking up temperament. We were such a bad influence.

With a deep breath, I launched myself off the ledge. Gravity gripped me fiercely, until I exhaled, and a gust of wind opened my glider. The dark red fabric caught the still air, and with my breath and mind, I manipulated it, charging after Condor's ghostly white form in the darkness, seeing Apala struggling as well to catch up to the dragon, her white markings the only give-away. But-it wasn't really something we had to be terribly worried about. A hundred years underground had severely depleted many of us of much of our sight. About a quarter of the nation was blind, and with every group of births more were born blind. Our bison, and flying lemurs, and the few other species that had been rescued were suffering the same slow fate. It...wasn't something any of us living down here wanted to think about.

It was a few minutes before all three of us dipped down, flying as close to the ground as we could get. And it was well we did-there was one other dragon in this particular airbending school-Kwarak, dragon of the monk Wyad-and he was much larger than Condor. Condor had hatched and crawled to my side only five years ago. Kwarak was almost eighty. His sleeping quarters was up above us. He would definitely notice us flying over him-under him, not so much.

A gust of wind signaled another bender, and I blew some air at one of the wings of my glider at an angle, wheeling around. I let out a sigh of relief as I circled-a familiar bald face gleamed mischieviously as he rose up next to me.

"Another nightly outing?" O'rong asked, bending the air so his words reached me and didn't echo across the area.

"Of course. Today's our day off," I replied. Dipping closer, I asked, "Can you cover for us?"

"Absolutely. On one condition-you have to hang out with me and Ying when you get back."

"Deal," I said, and we swerved off in our different paths.

Condor and I exchanged a glance as I neared, and without warning, Condor grabbed Apala in his talons and shot straight up, disappearing into a tunnel rarely used. I took a deep breath, and exhaled sharply, bending the wind abruptly against the lower part of the wings of my glider, the momentum carrying me straight up as well. With a little push of air, I closed my glider and landed softly into the archway of the tunnel, hurrying in before I was seen.

"So where to?" I asked as we came to the familliar three branches of the tunnel.

_That one leads to the capital..._Condor gestured to the far left one.

"We've gone to the capital far too many times already." I said, the idea already boring me. I looked to the one on the far right.

"We could go to the scroll cavern...and cause some ruckus again," I threw in the air, a smile touching my face as I remembered the chaos that Condor and I had caused a few months ago on a particularly boring day. Scrolls had scattered all down the halls from our sudden, accidental wind gusts. Across thirty miles of tunnels. Ahh, fond memories.

Condor blew out.

_That prank's old. _

Gingerly, we looked down the tunnel we were both loath to go down. We stared at it for a few moments, until a scrabbling sound caught our attention. I turned, and saw Apala scratching her paws at the side of the wall.

"Apala-stop. You're not a badger-mole."

The black flying bison fledgling bleeped and turned, slamming her tail against the still air. Immediately, the side she was digging out imploded.

_Apala! _Condor chided, showing his teeth. Apala wheeled about and growled back at him-which was rather hilarious, similar to a worm-mouse staring down a wolf-bat.

"Uh guys?" I started, trying to get their attention. No luck. Dragon and flying bison continued to growl at each other insidiously.

Sighing, I reached up to try to fix the dark hole-only to fall through, onto soft ground. I blinked and looked forward, realizing that I had fallen onto an incline. Apala had uncovered another passageway. Strangely though, there were no glowing earth-chrystals here to light the path.

Still, I lept forward at the new challenge.

"It's a new tunnel!" I cried, cutting off both growls. Excited, I felt along the sides of it, using my energy to send air out away from my fingertips. There were parts where the air recoiled back, as it would in a solid tunnel, but there were parts here and there where air met open air. I readied my stance.

_Avira, I don't think that-_

Ignoring Condor's warning, I twirled in a quick, energetic step, feeling the air around me and then pushing it with my hands. With a rumble, the passageway became a large tunnel, the excess dirt and debree piling on the floor. Apala bounded in with a huff, despite the looming darkness. I turned to Condor.

"Now, don't tell me the mighty white Condor is afraid of a little dark."

Condor's eyes narrowed, and arching his neck, he pushed past me with a decisive flick of his tail. I watched as the darkness swallowed his large bulk whole, laughing a little. Then I realized something.

"Uhh-guys? Don't leave me behind!"

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"I'm beginning to think this maybe wasn't such a great idea."

_Was that before, or after we got lost? _Condor said dryly. My hand had found its way to his wing joint, and Apala was walking extremely close to my left hip, her fur brushing me every step of the way.

"Can you please blow some fire again? I can't see anything, and I'm closed in on all sides. It's a little un-nerving."

_And you suppose for me, a being of both air and fire, it gets any better? _

None the less, a large stream of fire erupted from Condor's jaws, allowing us a few seconds of light.

And new hope.

"Hey! Look! I think we finally found the exit!" I exclaimed, rushing forward just as Condor shut his jaws. Tripped over a rock in the process of course. By instinct, I blew out and pushed myself back to my feet with air bending.

"More fire, please!" I exclaimed. Condor let out a low, annoyed growl, which was abruptly cut off by a loud bleep from Apala.

_Fine. _

I had two seconds to push the air out in front of me in a sort of shield before flames engulfed me.

"Hey!" I snapped as all went black. Condor let out a coughing laugh, and a moment later, a soft glow filled the tunnel.

_Is this better, perhaps? _

I glared at him, noting the small fire simply roaring in his mouth as a simple cavern fire would.

"Yes, you sarcastic sack of scales and feathers."

I kept the glare fully on my face, expecting him to shut his maw at that comment-but he didn't.

_A door! _

"Yes. A door." I replied.

_It's one of those multi-bending doors. Fire I can provide, obviously. And Apala and you can provide air-but what of earth? _

I rolled my eyes.

"How many times do I have to demonstrate it? Faking earth bending is easy when you're an air bender," I said, with a bit of pride, as I threw my energy from my hands and created a small wind that scooped up a piece of the softer dirt. I juggled it from hand to hand using the air, smug. Condor coughed.

"AHH! It's on fire! My dirt's on fire!" I cried, panicking and chucking it at the dragon's face.

That earned me a roar in _my_ face.

"Ow! Now I'm dea-

I was slammed against the side of the tunnel. I blinked to see Apala mustering a tiny roar at Condor. Condor and I exchanged a glance.

"Yes, ma'am."

_Alright._

The three of us turned to the door-a large, metal door. There was one long horn like tube on both sides-one for fire, one for air. In the middle, the door compressed to form a bowl like cylinder-for earth bending.

"Whatever's behind there must be pretty important." I noted. I turned to my two comrades.

"Alright-let's get this over with."

Condor stretched his neck over to the fire tube, while Apala padded over to the air-bending tube. They both looked over to me expectantly.

With a downward thrust, I brought together all the loose dirt I could. Which wasn't much. Still, at least it was something.

I inhaled, gathering air under the dirt pile, and manipulated it, moving my hands in a circular motion. Sloppily, but slowly, I managed to lift a swirling mass of both dirt and air towards the center of the door.

"One-

_Two._

Apala finished the third by blowing into her tube impatiently. Condor extended fire into his, and with a big effort, I chucked the mount of swirling dirt and air at the center. We all stopped, and held our breath.

For a moment, I was afraid it wasn't going to work. And then, like magic, the two tubes shifted, and the one door split into two.

"Do we push it?" I asked awkwardly. If dragons could roll their eyes, Condor would've. Both he and Apala barreled past me, throwing themselves through the doors, which erupted into light brighter than I'd ever experienced.

I found myself curling up into a ball, shielding my eyes. Apala's distressed cries sounded somewhere off to the left of me.

"What the hell is that?"

_We're...I think we've found our way above ground. _


	2. Lost

The scenery was startling after I was able to slowly open my eyes. My sore, sore eyes were met with an expanse of color brighter than I had ever experienced. I had only ever seen dark shades of blue-in very rare articles of clothing. But an enormous expanse over our heads was just that-blue. And the most bright, light shade of blue I had ever seen. It was beautiful.

The sheer open-ness of it all startled me. Everywhere around us, nothing but beige sand-brighter beige than I had ever seen before, and..that blue...

_Sky..._

"Sky...that's what it is."

All three of us sat there, staring at it, for an undefine-able amount of time.

"If we flew-how high could we fly? What would it be like? How far could we fly?" I asked, voicing the question. A grin found my face, and I turned to Apala and Condor.

"What about flowers? What do flowers above ground look like? And the people-think of all the different animals that we've yet to see! And the animals!"

Positively sqeualing in glee, I threw my glider ahead of me, launching myself onto it. Apala followed suit, quaking with excitement.

I bent the air to go up-and nearly fell off my glider. The air was just so...expansive here-I effected a lot more air than I was used to. I shot up higher than I had ever been before, faster than I had ever done before.

"Whoa...

I took a moment to glance at the ground. Had Condor always been so...regal looking before? He had always been a good-looking dragon...but here, the sunlight caught his scales and reflected off of them just right, causing him to look like he was covered in tiny gemstones. The feathers on his wings glinted and shone with the light as well, and his horns and the black spines along his neck, back, and tail (the only parts of him that weren't white) stood out strikingly so.

Apala passed me, and I turned my head to gawk at her as well. Her black fur...shone brilliantly, rippling with the air. The white markings that ran from her head to the tip of her tail were strikingly white as well, and her amber eyes glinted with happiness. She bleeted, and then soared around me in circles faster than I had ever seen before.

"Condor! You have to try this! It's so...open!" I called.

_We should get back. This world is in the middle of a war._

I frowned, then got landed with a crazy idea. I tipped my glider down, exhaling and pushing air from the sides of it. The ground rushed up to squish me immediately.

"AHHHHH!" I found myself screaming as I ran on a headlong course to crash into Condor at a speed that would probably kill me. I threw some air at one of the wings of my gliders at the last moment, in a last ditch effort to save myself. My glider snapped around abruptly, nearly ripping my fingers from the tips.

_What are you doing? _Condor demanded, his voice both worried and condescending.

"You have to try this! Air bending up here is a whole new experience!"

_What if someone sees you? Air benders are supposed to be extinct!_

"I don't see anyone out there. Nothing but sand. Come on, try it!"

_...Fine..._

Condor bunched his muscles together before launching himself off the ground, snapping his feathered wings open and pushing down. He rose faster than I had ever seen him rise-it only took a couple of flaps before he was level with me and Apala. I watched him experiment-dipping this way and that, turning, wheeling-and his flying took on a different tone. He was graceful and majestic and fast-he didn't have to just glide from place to place. It was as though the air above ground had its own life to it.

Condor bugaled exuberantly, before swooping upwards in a graceful arc, swimming through the sky.

"Where are you going?" I called, sending air to my glider and rising up.

_To see how high we can fly here!_

I grinned, pushing air at my glider at an angle so I too, would start to climb.

"Come on Apala!"

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Turns out, the higher you get, the thinner the air gets, and the cooler the air is. None of us had ever felt so cold, and although it was bearable enough to keep going, it was a different experience, and I'm not sure if I liked it or not.

However-unfortunately, as the air got thinner, it was hard and harder to bend enough air tol stay in flight. And, I got dizzy. Fell unconscious, actually. As it was, now I had woken up and found myself resting in between Condor's front paws.

_You're an idiot. _

"Hey! Am not!" I said, rubbing my eyes. Apala bleeted in an irritated 'shut up' tone, curled up against Condor's left front paw.

"How long have I been out?"

_It took us over an hour to land with how high we had flown. Since then, it's been about fifteen minutes._

"But it was fun, wasn't it?"

_...Fun and stupidity seem to border on the same line for you, Avira. You should have told me the moment flying started to become hard for you, so I could've flown you down._

I sighed, knowing I must've scared the living daylights out of both Condor and Apala. "Alright. You're right-you win this one."

Something occurred to me. It was odd that Condor hadn't taken us back home when I fell unconcsious-usually he would've gone for help.

"Condor-

The big white dragon stretched his head down to look at me with one golden eye.

"Why haven't we gone back home?"

He looked up, letting out a breath.

_I can no longer find the door. _

I blinked. "What? Why don't you just call the badger-moles?"

_I wasn't able to contact them either. I tried the moment I caught you as you fell._

I blinked, registering it. Horror swept through me.

"You mean we're stuck here? But we have to go home!"

_I know, little sparrow. _

"Great. Now what?" I snapped. "We're all going to die! It's not like I can hide this!" I pointed to the tattoo on my head..

"And you! You're a huge, un-missable, white dragon! And Apala's a sky bison! How are we ever going to-

_Calm yourself, Avira. We just have to find another way in. The badger moles have tunnels all across the world-we just need to fine another entrrance. _

"And not be seen? I'm wearing traditional air-bending student clothes! I might as well as have a sign glued across my forehead screaming 'Hi fire nation, lookie here, an airbender you didn't kill yet!"

_I've been thinking about that. _

Condor glanced at Apala, who then climbed over his paw and proceeded to take the top, orange part of my uniform in her jaws. It once again startled me how bright the colors were.

"And...

_Take it off, and place it beside me._

I looked at him, puzzled, then realized what he was going to do.

"No-

_We don't have a choice, Avira. _

Grumbling, I took it off and placed it in front of him.

There was a smooth tearing sound as Condor cut a long strip out of it with his claws.

_There. A headband. You'll have to keep the rest of this piece off. You may be able to pull it off as a simple training outfit then, rather than an airbending outfit. _

Grumbling, I strapped the strip of cloth over my proudly-worn tattoo, and stuffed the rest of the orange piece in Condor's saddle bags.

_Get on. I'll carry Apala in my claws-we'll cover more ground that way. We have to find water and food within the next day or two. _

Silently, I tied my staff to the side of Condor's saddle, and got on, tying the straps securely around my legs. Apala bleeted and tried backing away, but one huge paw clamped around her, and Condor launched himself into the air.

We circled around the area one last time, but the door was no-where to be found among the sands.

A feeling of loss eminated through me as Condor turned and headed east.


	3. Searching

It turns out that the desert we live under, is huge. Condor had been flying for hours at a speed faster than he'd ever flown before, and we still hadn't seen any sign of anything else. Seeing the dunes was fun at first, but it got boring after a while.

_There's a town up ahead. _Condor said, relieved. I looked around.

"Where?"

_Apparently I can see farther than you, Avira._

"Oh...well great! Full speed ahead!"

_Have you forgotten we can't just land in the city? I'll have to drop you off about a mile away so Apala and I can hide. And what will you use for money?_

"I have money right in-

_That's air nomad money, Avira. _

"...right. I guess I'll find some sort of job."

_Nothing long term though. Remember, we have to keep moving. _

"Maybe I can stay a few days or so, then? Just enough to make some money."

_That may be a good idea. Make enough to buy something to carry water with, some clothes, and some food. Apala and I can provide food for you during our travels, but perhaps it would be nice to try something new. Bring some back for Apala and I when you return._

I snorted as Condor began to descend.

"Meat, I assume?"

_I like berries and other fruits and vegetables too! _Condor defended.

"Right. Meat it is."

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"Wow!" I cried, looking up at the sky. "What is THAT?"

Something had happened to the sun-it had sunk in the sky, and turned a darker orangey-yellow color, and the entire sky had lit up with spectacular colors. Pink, red, orange, yellow, blue purple. It was amazing!

_I believe it's what they call a sunset...I think something similar happens in the morning. _Condor replied, looking at the sky with Apala.

"Can we fly in it?"

_We just landed a few minutes ago, Avira. You haven't had anything to drink or eat today-that comes first. Apala and I will scrounge things out for ourselves._

"...okay." I replied, not really in the mood to argue. Wiping a drop of sweat from my brow, I started the long jog towards the village which sat peacefully about a mile away. It wasn't long before the sands finally gave way to a different kind of soil and rock. It seemed to be fertile-there were trees and flowers growing in the soul here and there. I stopped to grab a flower and put it in my hair.

A small, fresh breeze carressed my face and lifted my hair. I stayed there, loving the feelings it brought about in me. Freedom, relaxation, strength, peace. It also brought about a scent that made my stomach growl.

"Better get going," I muttered, picking up my pace again.

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It was hard not to outright gape at the small temples these people lived in. They were much smaller than at home-only big enough for a couple of people to live in, at most. And they weren't built with the strong wood ours were-they were built with rock, and roofed with something I couldn't identify. The people coming in and out of them and walking around the village-I think that was what they called these gathering of houses, caused me to stop and stare as well. They were so drastically different than my people. The very shade of their skin was darker, though not by much, and they had stronger features. A more square jawline seemed prominent throughout both females and males. They were also shorter, and strongly built, not fat by any means, but stocky in a way that...made them fit the element they had been named after. It was startling, the difference.

It was at that moment I realized just how hungry and thirsty I was. I followed my nose around the village. I found it stopped me in front of a stand, much like those in the festivals we had at the air temples. The food was different, though.

"What's that?" I gestured the shop owner over.

"That's boar meat," he responded, giving me an odd look with deep brown eyes, smaller eyes than I was used to seeing on humans.

Note to self-next time act like you know what you're doing.

"Oh, right-I knew that. How much for that the fruit over there?"

"One gold piece, kid."

I figured I may as well give it a shot. Chances are, air nomad money hadn't been seen in a hundred years-what's the chance this guy would know what it was?

"Will this work?" I took out two higher priced pieces. The shop owner peered at it with speculating eyes, taking a piece and biting on it.

"Is this real gold all throughout?" he asked, eyes widening.

"Well, yea." I said, not sure how it was that big of a deal. All money was either made in real gold, nickel, or silver. Sometimes copper.

"Take whatever you want, kid. It wouldn't feel right to take these if you didn't. Pure gold is hard to come by these days."

I grinned. "Thank you! ...Do you have any water?"

"Of course, kid."

Needless to say, I walked away from that stand very happy.

As I sat down to eat, a voice interrupted me.

"Hey! Get off my favorite spot!"

I looked up to see a girl with clouded eyes and short dark hair glaring at me.

"Oh-I'm sorry."

I moved off my rock.

"You better be." grumbled the girl.

"Are you _still _there?" she snapped not a moment later.

"I'm gathering my things!" I snapped back.

"Well hurry up! I want to be left in peace!"

I jumped at the harsh tone in the small girl's voice.

"Fine!"

"Hey-what's this?"

I turned to see that the blind girl had picked up a coin of mine.

"That's mine!" I snapped, grabbing for it. She blinked, then turned my way. For a moment, I wondered how she could figure out where I was, how she could 'see' without being able to use air to see the world around her.

"Jeez! I was just checking it out!" The girl snapped. She paused.

"Come to think of it, a friend of mine has something similar-you should come meet him sometime. He's the avatar."

My head snapped around.

"But the Avatar's dead. He was killed when the air nomads were wiped out."

"Geez, where have you been? The Avatar came back over a year ago, and together we all ended the war."

My jaw about hit the ground.

"The war's _over?_ You're lying."

A funny look crossed the girl's face.

"My name's Toph-where did you say you were from again?"

"I gotta go," I said, making sure everything was securely in my arms before backing away.

"Hey-wait!"

But I was already gone, retreating towards the nearest exit from the village.

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_Avira, why are you running? You'll over heat yourself. _Condor said, landing in front of me. A sense of safety washed over me at the sight of him, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"I met this girl in town-she said the war's over."

Condor's large golden eyes widened. _Over? And what of the Avatar?_

"She said he's back. That he helped end the war. And she picked up some of my money-said the Avatar had some of it just like it. But it can't be true-it just can't!"

I found myself covering my eyes with my hands, not quite sure why I was so upset. Or even if I was upset, really.

Condor sat and rested his head on his paws.

_Did you get enough food and water?_

I dropped the big bags at his feet and sat down next to him.

"Yes-but how can you think of that at a time like this? This could mean everything! If what she said is true-then we could all come out of hiding!"

Condor yawned.

_Perhaps, but our people have almost forgotten how to live above ground. Fear could keep them from venturing out. As well, what proof do we have? We would have to have proof before making such a claim. Besides, suppose this girl was not telling the truth._

I sighed, resting my head on my knees. Something caused me to stir, though.

"Hey-where's Apala?"

_You mean she didn't find you? She said she was going to look for you. Called me a boring sack of scales._

I laughed, relieving at least some of my tension. "Yep, sounds about right."

A tinge of worry snapped through me unexpectedly. I grabbed a piece of fruit and my new water pouch.

"We need to go look for her."

_It'd be better if you put all the food in my saddlebags. It's better than wasting it._

Annoyed, I did as the big dragon requested., then went to grab my glider.

_Leave that where it is. It would be better for someone to see a dragon with a rider than an un-mistake-able air bender._

Knowing better than to argue with Condor at this point, I climbed into the saddle and tied my legs into the straps.

_Let us be off. _Condor said, launching himself skyward.

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"Here here! Find your new exotic pet here!"

Toph let out a breath, already not caring. The only reason she had come home was to make peace with her family, and inform them she was going to be living alongside Aang and the rest of the gang from now on.

Suddenly she stopped.

"Is...that...?"

She rushed over, feeling where the stand was with her feet. She turned to the stand owner.

"Where did you get that one?" She asked, pointing at the cage with the unmistake-able feel of a sky bison. Only, it was much smaller.

"Just caught her fresh today. You lookin? She's a rare find, that one."

"Will this be enough?" She threw a sack of gold coins at him, waiting impatiently while the man counted. He let out a small 'yipee', and she felt him grin.

"Yes, perfect. But what's a young girl such as yourself being out without a guard? Aren't you blind?"

"Yes, genius. I paid, now fork over the bison."

"Wait just a mo-

"Hand over the bison." Toph demanded, and with a stomp, sent a rock flying at the stand owner's head.

"Yes, right away, madam."

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Worry knawed at me like a bug. A big, irritating bug that only became larger every time it bit.

"We should have found her by now." I said. Condor sighed, and began to descend towards the sands.

"What are you doing? We have to keep looking!"

_There is no point in exhausting ourselves further. We can not find her-wherever she is, she has found a safe place to sleep now. _

"We can still find her!" I cried, urging Condor mentally to take off again even as his claws hit the sand.

_Enough! I am as worried as you. But we will not find her if we search while our eyes droop shut and my wings give out. _Condor snapped, letting out a low growl.

"But-

_Off, or I will rip you from the saddle._

I sat for a moment, debating. Realizing something, I gave in and unstrapped my legs, then went about uncinching the saddle. Condor watched me with a carefully piercing gaze.

"What's got you so protective suddenly?" I asked, setting the saddle down on the ground and going to scratch the scales that were underneath it. Immediately, the big white critter half closed his eyes.

_I am the only one watching out for you while we are above ground at the moment. And you are not that easy to watch, little sparrow._

I finished scratching his scales and grabbed a piece of fruit from the saddle bags, biting into it while leaning against Condor's flank.

"What are those?" I asked, gesturing to the glittering balls of light in the dark sky.

_I think they're called stars. They're giant flames in the sky, or so the elder dragons tell me. _

"Giant balls of flame? Right."

A light snarl touched his lips.

_I do not doubt my teachers, Avira._

"Of course not. What about that one?" I said, pointing to a much larger shining sphere in the sky.

_It may be the moon-you know, one of the spirits the monks tell us water-benders derive their abilities from._

"A spirit? It looks like a rock. A glowing rock, but a rock."

_It's better not to question the way things are, but to accept them. _

"I suppose Kwarak taught you that, huh?"

Deep, slow breathing answered me. Slowly, I got up, being careful not to disturb him.

"Sorry, Condor. I'll see you in the morning."

With that, I unhooked my staff, carefully unfolding it. It took some skill, but I swept a gentle breeze up underneath me that took me to the sky.


	4. The Danger of Strangers

I had been searching the area we had been in for over an hour. All thrills at the new experience of flying my glider in the night-time sky had been replaced a while ago with worry. Who knew what dangers this beautiful world above ground might hide? There could be some sort of animal that could eat her. Apala had only been given to me a couple months ago-this was really bad. To be given a sky bison was a heck of an honor-I'd be chewed out when I got back. Furthermore, Condor and mine's twosome had so easily become a threesome with Apala, it felt empty without the little girl.

A thought occurred to me, and I folded and angled one of the wings of my glider slightly, making for a faster turn as I headed east. The quiet, cool air of the desert enfolded around me, and for a moment, I once again was amazed at how it felt on my skin, through my hair. The absolute open-ness and freshness of it. Intoxicating, really.

It was a few minutes before I reached my destination, and dropped onto the sand in front of the village, the air softly whooshing behind me as I carefully folded my glider into it's staff shape.

"Apala?" I called in a whisper, sending the air to carry my words farther. I waited. But there was no answering whistle of air to return to me. I whispered a quick prayer, and surprisingly, the air sprang to me in response. I followed the push of the soft gush of air pressing on my back, as it pressed me around the village, stopping in the middle of a road. I looked around, puzzled, until the wind practically pressed my nose to the ground, unbidden. I scrambled, using air to gain my balance again, and then looked again, a bit crabby but knowing better than to snap out.

There it was-clear as day. Baby air bison prints everywhere-skidding everywhere, along with strange tracks. There had been a struggle of some sort. Rage much unlike the monks of old bled red behind my eyes. Or even the air monks of today-but I was not just an air bender, hadn't been since I had been bonded Condor and assigned to be trained a warrior. Not that my people weren't safe-it was just in case. The monks of old had learned from their old mistakes, and accepted the new proposal the dragons gave them.

But that didn't matter at this point. I surveyed the scene with critical eyes, aware of the intense energy in the air. After a few minutes of staring, I realized that Apala had not escaped-and the tracks fading out towards the south-the strange, parallel lines, coupled with odd prints I had never seen before, must've been what had taken her. I clicked open my glider.

"Now, now, hang on girly. You're an airbender, aren't you?"

I froze, then realized my tension and force-ably relaxed, turning around to meet the gaze of an old woman, hunched over with age.

"It's just a toy." I stated, clicking it shut.

"Don't intend to fool an old woman. Plenty of us saw the Avatar flying out on his glider in the days of the war. I know what that is."

"Doesn't mean-

"I saw you fly in on it. You oughta be more careful if you intend to keep your secret."

That clamped my mouth shut.

"I bet you're hungry. Come, I have food."

Warning bells went off in my head.

"I'm really rather busy at the moment."

"And I'm sure you'd also like to hear where your sky bison went. And as I'm the only one who's going to tell you, you best come along."

I stared at her suspiciously. "Very unlike the Avatar's bison-his is bigger, and white. Yours is mostly black all over, is he not?"

"She," I corrected without thinking. Then came the urge to slap myself.

An old, gnarled hand surprising in strength wrapped around my wrist. I gauged the strength, and then sighed. I could get away at anytime if I needed to. I snapped my glider shut in resignation, and the woman smiled and led me off. Condor was going to kill me, though. He would roast my hide and then ressurect me only to do it again. First for sneaking off to search without him, and then again for following a stranger's house. And possibly a third time, only because he was angry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AVATAR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The old woman led me to her 'hut', as she called it when I asked. She brought out a large salad, and then began talking as we both ate. I began to ease up as I learned more about her, such as her name (Ling), and how she had three grandchildren and had grown up in the earth kingdom. She dodged my questions about Apala, frustratingly, though. I kept my lips tight about where I was from, usually answering in a general sense, such as "From west of here". Finally, realizing she may just be a curious woman looking for company, I stood up.

"Thank you for the food-I must be going now." I excused, reaching for my staff. The old woman's eyes crinkled more.

"No, you must stay."

"I really did have a nice time, but there's someone waiting for me, I really must-

"No!" The candles in the room flared. A sense of warning went up my spine, and I realized. She wasn't an earth kingdom woman at all-

"Sorry deary, you must stay here." She said, a mad gleam in her eye. "You must stay here until they get here."

Wish a whoosh of air, my glider ripped itself from the wall and slammed itself into my hand.

"They?" I asked, warily backing up.

"The rest of the Ressurection of the Phoenix Order. The Fire Nation will rise once again to greatness! And the Avatar destroyed! And the only way to make sure of that, deary, is to completely break the cycle. And right now, you and your family, wherever they are, are the only ones besides the avatar standing the way!"

Flames were beginning to encircle the hut, cutting off my escape.

"You're crazy." I spat, trying to cover up the fear I felt. An old, non-bending woman wouldn't be a problem to escape from. But a bender with many years of experience compared to my measley fifteen, was a much different matter.

"It is only those that are thought crazy that are brought into greatness."

I sent out a rather desperate cry for Condor, who rose, snarling and snapping from his place in the desert, shaking off the sleepiness and taking off, using the link between us as a guide.

"What about my bison?" I snapped, trying to distract her.

"Your bison was taken away by a fire nation collector. Probably straight to the palace-for that imposter of a fire lord. But you'll never get there, will you?" she said nastily, baring yellow rotten teeth. I wondered how I could have ever thought of her as sweet.

"Now, tell me where the others are!" She snarled, and a huge blast of fire ripped its way towards me. I leapt to the side, only to have to jump again, another fireball slamming its way past me and causing an explosion in the hut. And an exit for me, as the cool air of the night contrasted with the uncomfortably boiling air of the hut.

I scrambled backwards toward the opening, only to have agonizing pain rip across my back, almost sending me unconsious. Blearily, pressed on only by adrenaline, I found my way to my shaky feet again, turning towards the outside. A feeling of hopelessness grabbed hold of me as I saw six other tall, strong looking figures in the dark weilding fire at their fingertips. Seven experienced fire benders circled around me, the old woman who had charaded as 'Ling' at my back. I snapped open my suddenly flimsy, burn-able looking glider. If I tried to take off, they'd burn me to the ground. There was no way around them. Suddenly trapped, a primal fear seized me. In a sudden spasm of movement, my feet found the steps, air swirled around me, and I whipped my glider around. All seven figures flew off away from me, slamming into various objects or houses. But they came up, way too fast. Far more experienced than I, obviously. Heat seared my arm, and I looked down to see it burning, my sleeve caught on fire. Realization came to me-I had to MOVE. Faster than any of my training exercises had ever taught me. I had to escape, because I wasn't strong enough to face them and survive or avoid being captured. I crouched, tensing my legs to push off into the sky with my glider.

A deep snarl shook the ground and sent shivers up my spine. A white, snarling, glittering mass plunged from the moonlit sky, his form quaking in anger as he landed beside me, a wing camped over me as a female dragon would a hatchling. His massive body twisted impossibly fast on the ground, the now terrified fire benders barely leaping out of reach of his deadly teeth. I stayed where I was, understanding that the only reason those fire benders lived was because I stayed put. His rath had no end, it seemed. It terrified me-he looked so unlike the kind, sarcastic spirit I had raised from a hatchling.

One form stayed put as well, despite my dragon's absolute rage. It was the old woman, and her shoulders were shaking, her facial expression absurd in the circumstances. It was then I realized she was laughing. Condor snapped around, focusing gold eyes on Ling.

"So that's how you little buggers survived," her crackly voice spat, amused but dripping with unwarrented hatred. Without warning, blue flames jetted from her fists, and she was launched into the sky. Condor's iron hard muscles coiled-

"Condor, no!" I cried, grabbing onto a wing joint. Frustrated, his eyes full of bloodlust, he shot a vengeful flame up into the sky after the old woman, causing her blue flames to seem like nothing more than the light of a candle. My dragon's sides heaved after she left, a growl rumbling in his throat long afterwards. He curled around me, and for the first time I felt what had caused his anger-a deep shock of horror and feeling of helplessness towards the danger I had been in. He thought of Kwarak, and how huge and strong the dragon was compared to him-Condor was just a hatchling.

I was slowly aware of the people encircling us as Condor calmed down. And the pain throbbing through my back.

_Your bandana..._

I started-my forehead was open to the air. A wave of nausea swept through me as I registered all the faces staring at me and Condor. I bent down to retrieve the orange piece of fabric, and found the ground rushing up to meet me. Instead, I fell onto the top of Condor's muzzle.

_Avira?! _Condor's alarmed voice gripped firmly onto my consciousness as the world around me began to black out.

"Miss Airbender? I'm a water-bender. Please, allow me to help you," A voice rose above the feverant whispers of the crowd. I felt Condor's solid desperation of my condition conflict with his ever pressing need to keep me safe from the strangers whom we knew nothing about.

The thought of how crappy I must really look passed through my mind before I blacked out.


	5. A Snarling Dilema

_Couldn't breathe. The tunnels weren't lit by their usual chrystals, the smoke was far too dark. It blotted out everything. I felt around, searching for someone to grab and escape with. But there was no where to go. They weren't trying to flush us out-they were trying to kill us. Going to kill us. We were all going to suffocate..._

I woke up, blinking through bleary vision. I tried to sit up, but a hand pushed me back down.

"Miss, it's best if you allow yourself to wake up slowly."

"Who are you?" I asked, the male voice not familliar to me.

"Kinook. I'm from the Northern Water Tribe. I was passing through when you were injured."

A gentle growl rumbled through the...house? I was in.

_Avira, you're finally awake. _Condor's relief passed through my mind immediately. I blinked, and then propelled myself to my feet, scrambling out the nearest door to the white scaled mass that was my friend, oddly uncoordinated. My eyes flared at my irresponsibility-his saddle had obviously still been on him the entire time I was out. Anger snapped into me like a torrent when I caught sight of a long, thin red slash up on his near flank.

_It's only a scratch, Avira. You are far worse off. _He sounded self-scolding in his tone. Ignoring him, I reached up into the first aid pack and grabbed the bottle of all purpose salve. When I rubbed it on the scratch, Condor let out a breath of relief unconsciously. It wasn't just a scratch-it was a bad burn. Something wet rolled down my back. Condor's nostrils flared.

_Blood. _

The air shook with a sudden, sharp snarl that sounded for all the world as if Condor was going to eat someone. Half-heartedly I conked the dragon's cheek with the back of my hand. "Condor, you do realize these people have been helping us, right?"

I was suddenly very aware of the crowd of people that seemed to be the entire village encircling us. The majority of them were now pale and shaking in fear.

"Good going, Condor."

"Miss Airbender, your burns do need to be attended." said the only one who seemed to be able to speak. The only person that was donned in blue and white clothing, looking very out of place in the midst of all the beige and light green. I racked my brain...right, the water tribe person...Kinook, right?

"Nope, I think I'm good, thanks."

"If they are not attended to properly, you may never have the full function of your left side again." Kinook's tone was flat.

"...How long is this supposed to take?"

"Three days if I'm allowed to work uninterrupted." The end of his sentence was short and irritated.

And so it was that Condor and I were to stay in this strange village for the duration.

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"Why are you doing this?" I asked, itching to move or do anything other than just lie there and wait for my back to be healed. Kinook, it turned out, was a water bender who knew healing techniques.

"I met Avatar Aang on my travels during the war. He and his friends were always kind, always trying to help where they could. Perhaps that is of all Airbenders, although your people have all but faded into legend."

I glared, and Condor-who had insisted on staying no more than six feet away from me through the entire healing process-growled deeply at the avoided answer.

The water bender sighed. "I suppose I feel some sort of debt is owed. And I'm sure that if you meet him on your travels, he would be overjoyed to find out that he is not the last airbender out there."

I shivered, having not considered the possibility before. If the rumors were true, then this 'Aang' would have had to have fought the entire war with no fellow airbenders by his side. In fact, he would have woken up to a strange world, all alone, with everyone he had previously loved dead.

_How lonely. _Condor voiced my thoughts, his instincts to protect airbenders rising up in protest and quivering a large, pearly scaled lip.

"Shhhh," I comforted, resting a hand to his muzzle, quieting the hatchling.

"What brought you to this village?" Kinook asked, changing the subject and moving the relief to a different part of my back.

I paused, figuring out what would be safe to say. But the cool feeling on my back was fogging all my thoughts, and as a consequence, Condor's as well.

"My bison."

"You have a sky bison as well as a dragon?"

Finally, some surprise in the water bender's voice. I allowed a bit of a smirk to fall onto my face.

"Yes, but my sky bison is missing. She's little. Black."

The moving water on my back paused, then receded. I lifted my head groggily as Kinook's form swept out of the large barn that we had been placed in for Kinook's work (at Condor's urging).

_Stay. _Condor said firmly. I sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with a dragon. Since when had he become so protective, anyways? I missed the fun, prankster side of him that he seemed to have forgotten since we left home.

"Your sky bison was sold to one of the Avatar's friends-the great earth bender named Toph."

"What would an earth bender want with a sky bison?" I asked incredulously. It seemed ridiculous-earth benders preferred to stay firmly on the ground, for obvious reasons. Or so the textbooks said.

"Perhaps as a gift for the Avatar. Sky bison are extremely rare. But you are in luck-if that is the case, then it will be a simple matter for a fellow airbender to have a meeting with the Avatar and ask for your bison back. In the very least, your bison is in capable hands."

Have a meeting with the Avatar? A simple matter? Yea, right.

_You forget, up above ground, you truly are a rare breed._

I wasn't used to thinking of myself as anything rare.

"Wait, was it that rude kid that tossed me off my rock yesterday?" I asked, as I heard Kinook once again bend water out of a basin.

"If she was blind, more than likely, yes."

"A _kid _is friends with the Avatar?"

"Of course, the Avatar is just a kid himself."

I longed to turn around and look at Kinook's face. Surely he was kidding. The Avatar would have had to have been at least a hundred years old by now to still be an airbender. Older than Monk Wyad!

_Perhaps the Great Spirit gifted him with longevity. _Conder mused.

But the soothing feeling of the water bender's healing was back, and I started to drift off again.

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"Miss? Miss Airbender?"

I woke to a little kid prodding me. I groaned, stretching up to a sitting position, finding I could in relative comfort. Condor shook himself awake as well, blowing steam into the kid's face. Bright green eyes widened, and then the young face burst out in laughter.

"Can you show us all some airbending tricks? Pweaassee?"

_Who gave them the idea that airbending was a bunch of tricks? _Condor asked, perplexed.

I blinked as I slowly came to a focus, and registered what the boy was asking. My face spread out into a large grin. This was exactly what we needed.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Gin!"

"Well, Gin, Condor and I would love to show off for you!"

_What?_

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_Remind me again why you thought this was such a great idea? _

Obviously, Condor didn't agree with me on this.

_You've been such a worrywart, and so have I. We need a little fun in our lives. We're already on the highest house they've built with a crowd below us. _I said, shifting in the saddle, making sure my glider was in the immediate snap release holder.

_Highest house. _Condor scoffed. _It would barely reach Master Kwarak's chest at the tallest point!_

_Good, keep that cocky energy. _I said, curling my hands to my side. The resulting gust of air forced Condor's partially raised wings open and threw him into the sky. The pretty, pretty blue sky.

_You ratbat! _Condor cried as the crowd whooped, trying to steady himself.

_Ha, ha. _I taunted. Once steadied, Condor folded his wings and jerked roughly to the side, tossing me off. But I had been ready for that, and opened my glider mid-fall, flying a few circles around the scaled dork before settling myself back in the saddle.

_I should roast you._

_You wouldn't do that. I'm your favorite. _I replied, centering myself more steadily on his back, hearing the whoops and cheers below us.

In response, the dragon folded his wings and started twisting in the air violently. Up and down, left and ride. Upside down. Loops, zig-zags. Even my air nomad instincts told me to do everything I could to hang on. At this speed, where gravitational forces practically pinned me to his back at some times, and nearly tore me off at others, I would not be able to do movements fast enough to keep me from slamming into the ground dangerously. I wasn't even aware of the height we were at anymore-every last ounce of my focus was knotted into staying on.

_Condor, this isn't fun anymore..._

But he lurched forward into a dive-some relief passed over me as we quit whirling around, but I was quickly alarmed at how close we were to the ground.

_Condor-_

_Leave the flying to me. _he snapped. The oos and ahhhs below us suddenly quieted, and the faces we were hurtling towards turned pale. Way, way too late, Condor snapped his wings open and shot up again, shooting fire upward as he went. The air around us confirmed a fact that made me relax-he had curled his tail to keep the townspeople out of harms way as he returned to the sky.

I had had enough. I kicked free of the saddle, opening my glider and sending a gust of air to its wings.

_Avira? _

My intent was not to answer. My mind, however, had other ideas.

_Go keep showing off! _I snapped, far too harshly. But, I was angry. I didn't care. My glider took me away from the situation faithfully.

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I was, well, sitting in a tree. I needed to think and meditate. It had been a several hours, but I still had no desire to talk to Condor.

"Miss Airbender? Your dragon has been snarling at the townspeople ever since you put on that demonstration, which was lovely, by the way."

"They don't need to be afraid of him."

The man who had approached me shifted uneasily from foot to foot. I glared up at him, causing his face to twitch. It was only now I realized he, and probably the majority of the village, was afraid of me.

"He...he looks like he might eat someone, ma'am."

I sighed, standing up on the branch I was on before jumping off. I landed lightly on my feet, as my people often do.

I knew where he was. I had specifically chosen this spot because it was the farthest spot in the village away from my dragon. I took several deep breaths, calming my frustration as it rose out of habit. Or, trying to. When my legs pushed forward into a job, my bending betrayed my emotions, and ended up moving forward in a torrent of air bending that pushed me faster and left a large cloud behind me.

The townspeople had given Condor a huge berth. He lay, coiled in a pearly scaled mass at the entrance to the town, and he was in a terrible temper. Every last one of his massive muscles were coiled, a snarl twisting the face adorned with narrowed yellow eyes, smoke pouring from his nostrils. His stark white wings were flared out behind him, huge sails the size of both houses on either side of him.

He was angry. But so was I. And yes he had grown, but he was still the hatchling that had clambered over to me when he was little. Afraid of his snarls and fire? I was not.

"Condor, you were a jerk!" I snapped, throwing up an air shield as fire immediately pummelled my small form. Or tried to. It was a short burst, fast with anger, but not nearly hot enough to burn. My back, still not healed, tweaked uncomfortably at the heat.

_You were the one who left in a huff! _Condor said, striking his head out faster than a snake turtle, clacking his teeth inches from my face.

"And you were the one who decided to scare me half to death with more maneuvers than I was ready to ride!"

_Then you should have jumped off and threw your little tantrum earlier._

The air swept up into a whipping wind around my feet with my irritation. "It wasn't a tantrum!"

Realizing the townspeople at this point were very afraid, I took a couple deep breaths and calmed the wind. Condor snarled audibly, sending a chill up my spine I ignored.

_It was!_

_"_And what do you call this, then?" I asked, gesturing at his snarling, quaking form.

I blocked his answering fire with a swirling mass of air.

"You're going to set the town on fire if you're not careful. And these people have been nice to us." I reprimended. His emotions tickled the side of my mind, and I grabbed hold while I still could. Sudden understanding ripped through me.

Dodging the next fire blast, I lurched forward, wrapping my arms around his muzzle and force-ably cradling it in my lap, as I had many time before when he was a hatchling.

"I'm sorry."

Condor's immense form stilled, and then he let out a long, warm breath. His wings drooped, his muscles slackened. My raging war partner had been calmed.

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"So, you're leaving, then?" Kinook asked, furrowing his eyebrows and making his expression seem even more severe.

I tightened the straps of the saddle, double checking to make sure the food and water were tied securely.

"Yes."

The large man sighed.

"You are only two days into your treatment, but it is a wise decision. The villagers are scared to death of you and your beast, and are eager for you to leave."

_We know. _Condor's voice was apologetic. _It seems these people are fearful of my kind-I am not used to that._

Kinook's blue eyes widened. "It speaks?"

"Yes, he does." I responded. Kinook looked at us with regarding eyes. He unexpectedly moved to my side after a moment, and tied something to one of the saddle's empty wooden holder rings.

"Take this with you. It will help you have passage in the fire nation," he said, answering my unspoken question.

I looked at it-it appeared to be a bracelet, with a pendent with some sort of water tribe symbol.

"Thank you," I said, bowing as was customary.

"The Fire Nation is south from here, and the Fire Lord's Palace should be in the center of the Fire Nation. It would be best of you to fly into the city to the palace under cover of night, and then wait to ask passage into the palace in the morning. Say that a friend of Katara and Sokka's sent you."

"Thank you." I said again, swinging up into the saddle. Condor rose to his feet. Kinook's hand grabbed my wrist, causing us to pause.

"Tell the Avatar that Kinook of the Southern Water Tribe gives his greetings. And young Airbender?"

"Yes?"

"Be aware that whatever reaction he has of you, he has not seen another air bender in over a hundred years. Seeing another air bender will...be very special to him."

I blinked. "I'm not planning on staying there, just a quick-

I paused at the seriousness of Kinook's expression. It occurred to me that he might know the Avatar personally.

Condor snorted. _Might? Avira, he does._

"Yes, sir."

Kinook's expression relaxed, and for the first time since we had met him, his face broke into a smile. It was odd, seeing such a serious face being lit up by a smile. It looked oddly misplaced, and yet completely natural.

"How much faster is a dragon than a sky bison?" Kinook asked suddenly, his smile dropping in thought. Condor snorted.

"Umm...about three times faster when coasting normally."

"You have a long journey ahead of you-it is best you stay at normal speed then, so these directions don't lead you astray," he said, taking a small piece of...leather out of his pocket. I sat stiffly, a bit appalled.

_Avira, their customs are different than the airbenders. Change your facial expression. _

Kinook took no notice of us, though, taking a dark piece of something out of his pocket as well. He walked a few paces to the nearest house and used it to-write. I blinked, surprised. We airbenders used the scaled feathers out of dragons' wings to write, and ink berry juice to write with.

A few moments later, the slip of 'paper' was given to me. I looked at it, realizing it was heavier than a piece of leather should be by any means. Moving the strip of leather aside, I found that he had given me clothes, as well-earth kingdom clothes. My eyes watered at the act of kindness.

"You can not expect to go un-noticed throughout villages to gather supplies in a similar outfit to the Avatar."

"Similar?" I asked questioningly.

"His had sleeves, and was thicker material."

I supposed this made sense-the airbenders of long ago lived on mountaintops. We lived underneath a desert.

"Be certain to leave your dragon behind on these supply gathering trips as much as possible. If you fly high enough, you will be mistaken for a bird in the sky. Look for cloud cover to cover your landing spots."

"Thank you." I said again sheepishly.

"You are welcome."

Condor backed up a few paces, eager to be off.

"I hope to see you again someday," I called.

"And I you," the Water Tribeman responded, walking back into the village. Condor raised his wings, and launched us into the air.

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"Condor, were you keeping your thoughts private the entire time we argued?" I asked, the sudden realization coming to me in the middle of our flight to the next town some sixty miles ahead.

_Of course. It was a private conversation._

I blinked, and then buried my head in my hands. "I looked like a complete nut, shouting at a creature that those people didn't know could talk back."

_Yes, you did._

I scowled. "This is all your fault, you sack of scales!"

Condor lifted a lip and laughed in the songlike way that dragons do.

"Stop laughing!"

He only laughed harder.

A/N: Hi, all! I've been well, and have been itching to get back to writing. However, sadly, writing is going to continue to be a very inoften side hobby for me. I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter-I will be able to write some more this week, not sure what my plans are beside that, though. I am in the process of fixing some mistakes I've noticed going back over this story as well. :) Review!


	6. A Decision Made

We had been flying for days. Literally, days. Condor had been in the air the entire time-it was I who had stopped for personal breaks regularly. We had just passed through an area that had been cooler than Condor and I had ever experienced. The sights had been amazing. The desert expanse had made way to a far greener territory-Condor and I had slowed and circled in a few spots, just to gawk at everything. Flowers, animals, trees. We had only a few trees back home, and the trees here were so many shapes and sizes. Even different colors! There were trees with flowers on them, even!

"Oh, Condor, look at those!" I cried, pointing at the strange, sizable animals leaping through the forest with antlers.

_What are those? _He asked, his youthful wonder showing in the tone of his thoughts. Unconsciously, he tilted a wing and came closer to them. The animals, startled, began leaping faster, but to no avail. They were at a loss to outrun a flying dragon.

I racked my brain for memories of the texts I had been forced to diligently study during the first part of my training.

"It's on the tip of my tongue- oh! Rabbit-deer!"

A sudden notion seized Condor at the same time his stomach growled-he partially folded his wings, and reaching down, clamped his jaws around one of the rabbit-deer's necks. The animal went slack immediately. My blood went cold at what I realized had happened, and Condor descended, resting his claws in the earth.

"Condor! You..."

He answered instinctually, snarling at me.

_Mine!_

He began to eat. I closed my eyes, trying to block out the sounds of him crunching bones and tearing meat off the still warm carcass. My head began to spin, and I clutched at the saddle, trying not to vomit. Trying to block out everything I had been raised on, which screamed of the severity of the deed. Of the unfairness. Of the precious life ended.

When the growling of his stomach subsided, Condor seemed to return to his self. I opened my eyes-big mistake. Only an armful of blood soaked bones remained. The skull remained, one eye still in its socket, the antlers eaten. Cringing, I shut them straight away again.

Finally, he realized my feelings on the situation. In a flurry, he backed up and surged into the air again, taking us away from the carcass. Far away, so I could pretend I had never seen it.

_I am sorry, Avira. I was so hungry._

Taking in a shaky breath, I answered. "It's alright, Condor. You haven't eaten in almost a week, I should have realized that."

Momentarily, I realized it had almost been a week since we had left home. I focused, meditated on that thought, pushing out the horrible scene I had just witnessed. A week away...I wonder what was going on. By now they'd have sent out a search party. O'rong and Ying would be worried. And we'd...we'd miss the sky bison and the dragon bonding ceremony-it happened only two days from now, if I remembered correctly. We'd miss the festival too. And the advanced dragons and sky bison riders performing together, and the master air bending monks' performances as well. And the berry cakes and salads!

I buried my face into Condor's neck, suddenly homesick. He crooned audibly, hearing my thoughts and missing home as well.

_Don't forget the multicolored chrystal maze that is brought in. And the sea serpent's passageways, open for exploration._

"Only once a year." I groaned softly.

We fell into sad silence. It had not been a wise decision to focus on the first thought to come into my head. But we'd been bound to come into homesickness at some point. We had left our entire world. Everything we'd ever known.

_But we've come into a freedom we never knew existed. _Condor said softly, after a while.

I turned and looked at the sun and the sky. The open-ness. The freedom. It had filled us both. The sun alone was such a beautiful, wonderful thing. Never had I expected to constantly feel warmth across my skin. There were no words for it. Nothing else could compare to it. And the coolness of night, and the brightness of the stars and the moon during that time, were magnificent. It felt right, to be here in the open air, as much as I missed home. It felt natural, like both Condor and I belonged here.

Flying over the beautiful landscape in silence, we both came to a decision.

"When we get back...

_We have to free them. _

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"Condor, it's getting dark. We should stop for the night." I said. "How about over by that nice clear river? It's so convenient, I just ran out of water. And I bet you're thirsty."

_We don't need to land. We need to find Apala and return to our people._

I frowned. "Come on, nice cool river. Aren't your wings aching and uncomfortably hot from flying both of us this whole way?"

That was sure to work-dragons' wings got uncomfortably hot when they weren't used to flying to long periods of time. Until now, the most flying that Condor had ever done was from temple to temple-a thirty mile stretch at the most. According to the map, we had gone much, much farther than that. Supposedly.

Condor snorted, decided turning away from the river. I threw up my hands.

"Oh no! A sudden gust of wind!"

_Avira-don't-_

I guided the air to gently-gently...cause us a crash landing right into the river. Condor surfaced us with a growl.

_You're despicable._

"And so refreshingly cooled!" I cried joyfully, launching my aching body out of the saddle.

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A/N: Shortie! Hoping to get another chapter up in the next couple. Key word-hoping.


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